Michael FinnissyThe History of Photography
in Sound played byIan Pace (piano) at the Royal
Academy of Music, London,28 January 2001 (JW)

The History of Photography in Soundis Michael Finnissy's most
ambitious piano work to date: an epic lasting more than five hours, divided
into five books of self-contained pieces, of which the inner three are further
divided into several 'chapters'. Yet although the individual items are
self-standing, they also form part of a complex network of cross-references
which unify the entire conception.

The title can also be regarded as a metaphor, enabling the composer to approach
the project cinematically, or in the manner of a snapshot. For instance,
the overall style often involves rapid 'cuts' from one sonic image or allusion
to another, and there are episodes which provide brief glimpses of the composer's
past, and perhaps specific memories.

From Ian Pace's indispensable introductory pamphlet, which outlines
the structure of the work and discusses questions of interpretation, it is
clear that on one level The History of Photography in Sound
is substantially autobiographical. My Parents' Generation Thought War
Meant Something reflects Finnissy's experience of seeing snapshots his
parents made of friends during the Second World War. His style of pianism,
stemming from the 19thC virtuoso tradition is most clearly illustrated in
Alkan-Paganini; other pieces recall his encounters with the cultures
of the USA, Australia & parts of Southern Africa.

On another level, Finnissy responds to issues within contemporary British
society, such as problems of censorship, or rampant commercialisation.
Capitalist Realism is the most significant piece in this category. Lasting
75 minutes, it is the most extended single span of music Finnissy has so
far attempted (nearly matching in duration Ronald Stevenson's 80 minute
Passacaglia on DSCH played at Wigmore Hall last week).

Finally, there is the strictly creative level, though this is not restricted
to musical influences. While Finnissy has been composing for the piano throughout
his career, the Gershwin Arrangements and Verdi transcriptions appear to
have been particularly important, enabling him to expand his vocabulary of
transformation techniques to the point where they could be utilised in such
an ambitious project as The History of Photography in Sound.
In essence, the work is a gigantic palindrome, almost entirely based on the
intervals of minor and major thirds. Structurally, it is laid out as a series
of waves, but at the core of the scheme is the section entitled 17 homosexual
Poets, in which the composer has sought to establish a musical correlative
for many of his literary interests. Ian pace's essay describes each poet's
musical portrait, but the seventeen sections are intercut, and spliced together
to create an extended collage which avoids any suggestion of linear construction.
Thus, the hub of the work is a tightly organised piece, which provides the
model on which the whole enterprise is built.

The History of Photography in Sound is a score of such rich
content that its five-and-a-half hours duration does not seem too long.
Obviously, opportunities to hear the work 'live' will be limited, though
Ian pace and the composer are scheduled to perform it jointly in Belgium
in October. Consequently, the complete recording in preparation is of paramount
importance, in order to appreciate at least some of the detail outlined in
Pace's essay, but meanwhile, there is bound to be some speculation as to
whether the work should be classified as 'modern' or 'post-modern'. In fact,
it does not fit comfortably into either category, though the stylistic
consistency Finnissy has achieved, notwithstanding the disparate sources,
undoubtedly stems from a modernist aesthetic. There are few composers who
have embraced so many cultures within a single work.

It would be difficult to over-emphasise the importance of Ian Pace's mastery
of this daunting score and convincing interpretation of the music in his
complete performance at RAM, and he is to be congratulated on a monumental
achievement. His CDs of The History of Photography in Sound
are eagerly awaited.